Zensho

Creating a Western style grocery concept

July 29, 2015

Zensho of Japan recently acquired four local grocery chains, to diversify their portfolio of 25 restaurant brands. They wanted to develop an umbrella mass-market/value-brand that would rise above the sea of local grocery stores. They created a fresh, Western-inspired and more relevant concept that would elevate the customer experience. This was accomplished by creating a modular kit-of-parts that could be adapted to all the acquired chains for a cohesive look and feel.

Designing a warmer, brighter, modern shopping experience helped facilitate a better customer journey. The incorporation of natural materials was used for a familiar “Japanese design language” that speaks to the heritage of the brand, but with a modern twist which helped separate and differentiate the brand from the competition.

Additional update included: developing a wayfinding system to better organization of the space, and designing ceiling fixtures to highlight the best in category items using LED lighting to increase efficiency. The design also integrated overhead isle signs, not typical in Eastern grocery stores, as well as simplified the signage with the use of icons and standard fonts and colors throughout.